오랜만에 만난 친구들 Wow..Time Passed!!!

We're used to be in one group called Korea Brand Communicators..

Or simply..bloggers...comprising of Korean and foreigners.

It's new year and we haven't met for like..2 years...most of us...so why not gathered along...again to catch up what we've been doing lately.

Some married. All got jobs. What a great news indeed. Some just came back from other countries...

..either for working or studying...

..and one thing..we got a 연예인 none other than our friend Bushan Kumar...the one from 비정상회담 TV program show.^^

..1차...2차...3차...from...A to K...Karaoke..노래방 time.

..but mostly..we're just so happy to be to meet again.... 

Thanks for being friends we used to know.

Right...though we do not meet in person..

We meet constantly in KATALK!!!~^^

From Gangnam~Konkuk

Got a recording session.at Gangnam...phew...so faaaarrr from.home.

Just finished at 8 and hadn't got my dinner. Just kept on walking..to the nearest subway station...while as always capturing the moments.

Cars lining up.....going home I suppose.

Gee....the wide and relatively clean pedestrian like this is an envy to most Indonesian cities!!!

Arrived at Konkuk Univ.station...and managed to peek into the streets/alleys around the station!

Yeah...I heard that 건대입구 is one of the happening places in Seoul.

So many entertainment spots to be...

But of course...I couldn't stay there, I got to transfer to Line 7...heading back home.

*hmmm...at times I hate transferring at subway stations. 

Day and Dusk along Han River

yes...along Han River on our way to Coex to see Rio 2. We had a 5 pm show which meant only one thing: we got to leave home 1.5 hour earlier. 'Tis a beautiful day with bright sunshine along the way. As we're driving along the Han River, I couldn't help (like always) but taking my camera out and 'immortalize' the moment. Far beyond the under-construction Lotte Tower (would-be the tallest building --hence dubbed the tallest skyscraper of Seoul) is visible. 

Coex signage is visible which meant only one thing (again), it's time to cross the bridge and reach the Southern bank of the river (Gangnam area). 

In less than 5 minutes, we're approaching the main street of Gangnam (could be mistaken though) where the Coex and WTC were located--the place we're heading to). 

Since it's 퇴근시간 (gee what is it in English...:( !! ) anyway...we're stuck in a traffic. But, wait..it's Saturday and no one's working or supposed to be working..so it meant only one thing...people do flock to this area considering its fame. 

--------- 

We just finished watching the movie and since dusk was approaching,we rushed ourselves to get back home. And..snap!! The sunset over Seoul Tower (beyond) was breathtaking in reality...but...*ginger* ..^^ my camera could not do justice to the beauty of that Saturday evening. 

another view...not so proud to be shared..but posted it here anyway. 

Then,we're heading towards the lanes leading to the intersection that would take us home...with (again and again) the landmark of Seoul--The Seoul Tower--in its background. 

The twilight set in. 

Nothing so eerily beautiful like this. I mean..for a vampire* like me (?) whose main transportation is (underground+dark) subway....having a chance to snap a picture of twilight like this....was of course..a moment not to be missed.  

A sight to behold. (at least for me....for a vampire* like me). 

Hmm...okay. It's nice to change the way I see Seoul like this one.

*vampire: I consider myself as a vampire since I almost never see daylight on my daily routines due (thanks) to Seoul subway.^^

A Stroll Around Gangnam (part 3)

Still continuing my stroll-along-Gangnam with Mr. Nugroho, to have him around and feel the look of what Seoul has to offer for its visitors.

This is  one of the views I liked that I saw yesterday.

A wedding ceremony in the Bonguensa Temple with its backdrop: one of the few Seoul's skyscrapers.

A perfect blend of modern and traditional Seoul.

Then, we walked along the street where Seoul's Seven Luck Casino was located.

Surely I wouldn't go there.:-) hmmm 

Then..off we went to another area in Jamsil where Lotte Tower is being constructed. 

This Lottte World Tower is to be completed in 2015 with the height of 556 meters!! with 123 floors. Hummm Finally Korea will have a super-tall skyscraper.

A Stroll Along Gangnam Area (part 2)

Still at Bongeunsa (봉은사)..the downtown temple--well, that's how I describe it. 

One thing for sure, this is just well-situated in the center of business district. 

Lots of activities to see and to do here.

Like this one. A group of children clad in their hanbok was marching along the temple area. 

I was not sure what they're up to, but they're surely giving a different feel to the temple. 

Oh, there was even one wedding reception complete with its orchestra.

What a perfect day to hold a wedding ceremony..in the heart of the temple and the city (in autumn). 

The orchestra was rehearsing when we were there. Though I could't see the 'real' ceremony, at least I got the feel of what it would've been like. 

Continuing on my tour with mr. Nugroho, I got a closer look into the intricate drawings on the ceiling of the temple. 

The drawings, colors, shapes, patterns are all full of symbolical meanings--I assume. 

Wish I'd known them.

But...surely they're pretty neat.

Royal Tomb of Joseon Dynasty (part 5 )

This is the T-Shaped Shrine (정자각) which I was referring earlier in my previous blog. This serves as the venue for ancestral rites and where the tablet of the deceased is enshrined during the rituals. 

With the burial mound right behind it, the T-shaped shrine is in line with the mound itself. I think it was created in such a way so as to give the direct link between the shrine and the tomb. I wonder it that is the case, though. 

Now. a moment for myself. I was impelled to have a pic of me at least once. I was squatting right underneath the Red Gate which severs as the entrance to the sacred territory. 

It mainly consists of two round pillars spanned by horizontal bars decorated with spikes. (nope..not in the picture, though).

anyway..this is how it looked as I was gazing from the gate. 

what's the pavement?

it's no ordinary pavement. In fact...these two separated lanes are called:

Spirit Road (신도 /sin-do) on the left-side.

&

King's Road (어도 /eo-do) on the right-side. 

These are clearly separated to make sure that people or those visiting the shrines do not walk carelessly on the walkway.

In fact there is a sign reminding visitors to keep off the royal tomb's spirit walkway (신도). again and again...I wonder what would happen if anyone just walk on it... 

the other one (the lower one) is a sign on the king's road; this, too, is informing visitors that they can walk on this path towards the shrine. 

At around 3 pm I was there..and the heat..oh my God...I could assure you...is bearable. ^^ well, it's autumn in essence, though the trees still looked green. 

Before going right into the Shrine, I took a zoomed pic of the stone figures of military guards and civil officials ..symbolizing their loyalty in guiding the royal tomb.

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (part 2)

Before proceeding to see the tombs, I managed to sneak into the house of the royal tomb's keeper. 

Of course, sneaking into doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing. In fact, I kind of enjoyed having to take a peep into how this traditional house was still intact while its surrounding has changed into a metropolitan Gangnam. 

Yes, this is me holding the brochure which of course be a great help for me to navigate around the complex. 

This is how the tomb keeper's house looks like. Hmm rather conveniently located in the heart of the city. Wait....you seem to forget something, Suray. You're just referring that to the present day. But, just imagine back days in the 15 century...

was Seoul like this?!!! 

Okay then..I got to admit..that being here would've been lonely.

But..who are you asking to? 

Should you ask the tomb keeper, he would surely reply that he wouldn't have had any time to be lonely since the ancestral rites are prepared right on the very spot. So, he's basically a busy person.